


A Morning Call

by empressearwig



Category: The Quiet Gentleman - Georgette Heyer
Genre: F/M, Interlude, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 05:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17016240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressearwig/pseuds/empressearwig
Summary: The Earl of St Erth pays a call upon his betrothed.





	A Morning Call

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nahnahnahnah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nahnahnahnah/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, nahnahnahnah!

In the second month of their engagement, Gervase Frant, Earl of St Erth, came to pay a morning call upon his beloved, Miss Drusilla Morville. She had returned home after her injury at Stanyon, for reasons both of wedding planning and propriety. Both her mother and his mother-in-law were fixed on that point, and he had acquiesced reluctantly. It was not that he didn't not understand their concerns, but having grown used to her in his home, he was loathe to give her up, even for a short while.

But the time of their parting was growing to a close. The doctor had proclaimed her arm nearly healed only days before and the first set of banns had been read in the parish church the Sunday past. In two short weeks, they would be husband and wife, and Drusilla would return to Stanyon as its mistress. It was hard to know if Gervase or his household were more eager for this happy event to transpire.

Upon entering the Morville's drawing room, Gervase was struck by an unexpected sight; his betrothed at rest. Drusilla sat on the low settee before the fire, a book at her side, and her good arm pressed alarmingly to her temple. He knew that she had suffered more headaches that she was accustomed to since her fall down the stairs at Stanyon, but he had thought they had mostly ceased to plague her.

"My love, what is this?" he asked, sitting himself down next to her and taking her hand and raising it to his lips. "Are you unwell?"

She started, with a flush to her pale cheeks. "Oh, no," she disclaimed. "It was but the pain of a moment."

"Are you certain?" he asked. "I would be happy to ride for the doctor at once."

"No, no," Drusilla said. She smiled up at him, but he had learned much about her smiles in the length of their acquaintance and he knew her thoughts lay elsewhere. "I am very happy to see you this morning."

"I thought we had decided to speak plainly between us," Gervase said. "What is troubling you, my robin?"

She flushed again, and looked a little guilty. "It is really nothing," she said, "only--" She broke off and looked resolutely at the fire. 

Intrigued beyond reason now, he again took her good hand in his and kissed it. "Only what, Drusilla? You have enflamed my curiosity; I must know."

She looked into the flames for a little longer and then spoke all together in a rush. "I wish we could elope to Scotland!"

Of all the things that Gervase had imagined that his betrothed might say, the thought of an elopement had never come near to crossing his mind. Frankly, he could not believe that it had entered hers. Trips to the border were for the imprudent: flighty young misses and impoverished lords intent on replenishing their coffers through ill-advised and often outright prohibited marriages. They were not for those of his beloved's practical bent. People like them had their banns dutifly read and their marriage solemnized in regular order. He could not imagine elopement was truly his Drusilla's dream. Something truly dreadful must have provoked her into such an uncharacteristic statement. 

"I have shocked you," she said, when he did not answer. "I knew that I must, let us not speak of it again."

"Let us instead speak of what has driven you to such madness," he answered at once. "My love, this is not like you. Is it Lady St Erth? I would speak with her if she is bothering you. I know the move from Stanyon has been a trial for her, but she may not transfer her grievances to your shoulders."

"Oh!" Drusilla said and she stood and began to pace about the room. "It is not Lady St Erth, or rather it is not only her. It is also my father, who would provoke her about the Frants ancestry and my mother who will not accept that I have little interest in the wedding arrangements and Martin who--"

"Martin!" Gervase exclaimed, surprised at last. "What can he have to do with your troubles? I thought him busy at work learning the business of the estate."

"He has decided it is his mission to be _helpful_ ," Drusilla said, with such an emphasis on the last word that Gervase almost took it for a curse. "I believe it is part of his making amends for his behavior when you first returned. While well meaning, on my part, it is wholly unnecessary."

"Nor on mine!" Gervase said. "Leave Martin aside. I shall have a word with him and let him know he might be rather less eager in his attentions to his sister-to-be."

He reached out and caught her wrist, drawing her to a stop before him. "My love, do you truly wish a hurried marriage? If it is so, I can return to London and procure a special license at once. In truth, I did consider it, but you needed time to recover from your injury, and I thought you would prefer to be married from your home."

Her shoulders slumped forward, and he took advantage to draw her down to rest upon his knee, setting his hands on her waist. 

She looked up at him, an adorable expression of shock on her face. "Gervase! What should my mother say if she happened into the room?"

"I should say she should knock!" he answered, laughing at her. "She has not noticed the closed door these past thirty minutes, I say she shall not notice it now. And you still have not answered my question, my love. Do you wish to be married at once? You have only to say the word."

She shook her head. "No," she said. "As I told you once, I am not romantic. I do not care about our wedding at all, does that shock you? But Gervase, I do so wish to be your wife."

"On that point, my love, we are in perfect agreement." 

She smiled at him then, and he smiled back at her, both of them in complete charity with the other. But he could not forget the way she had looked when he came in the room. He would not see her look like that again, if it could be prevented.

"What can I do to take your cares away?" he asked. "I doubt my ability to eliminate them altogether, but mayhap I can lessen them."

"Truly, I do not think you can," she said, and she rested her head upon his shoulder. "I know Lady St Erth and my father too well to think that their bickering can be brought to a close. They enjoy it too well, though both would deny it."

"Your mother, then," said Gervase. 

"You might try," said Drusilla, doubtfully. "She means so well, that I hardly wish to dim her joy of the preparations. She had not expected to make them, you see." She lifted her head and looked up at him from beneath her lashes, in her best imitation of a coquette. "In truth, nor did I."

He knew he should commend her on her sympathy for the feelings of their relations, but honor demanded he answer for the implied scold in what Drusilla had said last. His beloved saw too much. She deserved to have him fall on his sword in answer for the shortness of his past sight.

"Men are foolish creatures," her betrothed said and kissed her soundly.

Miss Morville did not find it necessary to contradict him.


End file.
